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VTES Fifth Edition preview card. Art by Heather V. Kreiter.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs

AUGUST 2020 CARD BANS – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The VEKN recently announced five cards being banned from tournament play as of August 1, 2020. This caused some commotion in social media and elsewhere, and some clarifications are needed. Henrik Klippström, Marketing Ghoul of Black Chantry Productions, answers some frequently asked questions:

Why were the cards banned?
- The five cards contain words or images that are associated with real world racist caricatures.

Why was this important to do right now?
- We are currently preparing a large batch of older VTES cards for print-on-demand at Drivethrucards.com, so we needed to make this cut now. The card Terrorists was already cut from the batch published in December 2019.

Was this decision in haste?
- No. These cards have been discussed for a long time, and more so since Black Chantry got the license to produce VTES in 2018. One example is the VEKN forum thread "Card name change suggestion" with posts by Black Chantry Product Director Ben Peal. The VEKN National Coordinators were informed.

Are the banned cards being replaced?
- Yes, eventually. Two of them have already designed replacements – these will be handed over for playtesting in the first round of the upcoming preconstructed decks (Banu Haqim, Brujah, Gangrel and Ministry). New artwork has been commissioned.

Why didn´t you replace these cards when the bans were announced?
- When we decide something is wrong we want to fix it as quickly as possible. In this case it means removing cards that detract from the game whilst taking a little longer to consider what cards we want fulfilling a similar function. Card design, playtesting and production of new artwork takes time.

How will the replacement cards be distributed?
- Most likely they will be promo cards handed out at tournaments and other events, but they might also eventually appear in new products and on print-on-demand.

MEET THE VEKN: NEIL MULLER, NATIONAL COORDINATOR OF SOUTH AFRICA

This month we talk to Neil Muller, NC of South Africa, about his background and current activities.

Hi Neil! When did you start playing VTES?
- I first played the game sometime late in 2002. A couple of my boardgaming friends had played the game previously, and we decided to give it a try. The first game we played was not the smoothest experience, since none of us was that familiar with the rules or the cards, but the predator-prey dynamic really resonated with me, and I was hooked.
   Fortunately, one of the local comic & games stores had some starter decks and boosters available fairly cheaply at the time. The first decks I bought were the Camarilla Edition Toreador deck and the Black Hand !Nosferatu deck, which made it quite easy to get into the game. The shop also put us in contact with some of the other local Cape Town players, and so I started getting more serious about the game and actually learnt the proper rules.

What do you like most about the game?
- The predator-prey mechanic is obviously one of my favourite aspects – it creates interesting table dynamics and complicated decisions about how the table will fold.
   I also really like that VTES has a large card pool. It allows for tremendous variety in decks, and variation in play. I love trying to come up with interesting combinations and card interactions – these often aren't very effective, but it's very satisfying to pull off a complicated combo play.

What is your all-time favorite deck?
- While I like a variety of decks, ultimately my favorite remains the !Nosferatu Potence combat build around Beast. My first version of it was based on the Black Hand starter, and it was the first deck I constructed that was reasonably successful in local games. It is by no means the best deck I've built, but it has remained a deck concept I continually return to and try to tweak.

What other decks do you currently like playing?
- I have a collection of decks, like the Beast deck, that I return to on a regular basis, but I'm a keen deck builder. I mostly build combat and political decks, as those are archetypes I enjoy playing, and lend themselves to interesting challenges between balancing the number of the different types of cards. I also put together the odd somewhat silly trick deck, like grafting Serpentis onto the Samedi, so you can combine burning the Edge for Enticement with Off Kilter to get it back. Of late, I've being trying to build decks with various Assamite crypts, with mixed degrees of success.

Do you think you have a special “style” of playing?
- I don't think so. I'm often guilty of slow and over-analytical play, especially if games get tense, but I don't think anyone would consider that particularly special.

You are the National Coordinator for South Africa. How is the situation for VTES there?
- The South African scene used to be fairly active, but a number of players drifted out of the game when it went out of print after Heirs to the Blood. Unfortunately, it's been hard to attract new players to the game since it came back into print. Shipping costs to South Africa are unfortunately rather high, which makes it a relatively expensive hobby. Fortunately, we do now have a local supplier in Pandemonium Games, which has helped make cards more easily available.
   Currently, myself and the South African Princes are trying to spread the game by running demo games at the local gaming conventions and hosting social games at some of the local game stores. I'm hopeful that the Fifth Edition release will help as a nice single purchase that can get gaming groups into the game.

Thanks for the interview Neil! Good luck with coordinating!

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: JULY 2020

• Five new card bans were announced (see above), effective as of August 1, 2020.

• The “unlimited edition” of the 25^th Anniversary set is now in stores, in English, French and Spanish.

• The whole Black Chantry crew has been busy with the last touches on the Fifth Edition box, mostly the new, illustrated rulebook. It will be 50+ pages in a A5-ish format, complete with glossaries and a Q & A section on especially tricky things about the cards and mechanics present in the five Fifth Edition decks. The box will also contain five “help sheets” (one for each of the five decks) and all counters you need to play.

• The Fifth Edition spoiler season has been gruesomely long due to the pandemic and because some cards were saved to be previewed by stores and media. But soon everything will be revealed, and so far, most seem to appreciate both art and cards. It is a starter friendly set, so veteran players might be missing some new, more advanced cards, but that is being worked on …

• … because the next four preconstructed decks are ready for testing: Banu Haqim, Brujah, Gangrel and Ministry. All these will include both new crypt cards and new library cards. The first drafts will be sent to playtesters within shortly!

BCP products

RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

• The official World of Darkness Discord server has opened! This is a place for fans and creators to discuss and maybe find a playgroup. Join at discord.gg/W2edCnU

• Some card images of the upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade Rivals Expandable Card Game from Renegade Game Studios have been made public by Man vs Meeple (see above). It seems quite different from VTES, being a game for 2-4 players. It will be interesting to see how fun it is!

• The main themes of the World of Darkness News show in the past month have been Vampire: The Masquerade - Chapters (July 3), Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong (July 9), Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood (July 16) and Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York (July 23).

CALENDAR

Upcoming events:
Follow local regulations on what physical events are possible. Notice that online tournaments are possible - just note "ONLINE" in the event name when you add the event to the calendar!

For more information on upcoming events see the V:EKN Event Calendar.

CONTACT V:EKN

You can contact the V:EKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at V:EKN.net. Also follow the V:EKN Facebook group, the official V:TES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and the official V:EKN Twitter account @VEKN_VTES

"Some are wise and some are otherwise."

VTES Fifth Edition preview card. Art by Amy Wilkins.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs

THE CURRENT TOURNAMENT SITUATION

We usually report a lot about tournaments in this newsletter, but due to corona those activities are scarce right now. This is what you can do:

• If your national and local authorities allow, you can arrange a physical tournament. Always follow current health recommendations about number of players, distance, face masks and other things. An example of a vibrant tournament scene is Palma de Mallorca, who had a 27-player tournament on June 28, won by Moisés Ferrer Gallegos playing Lasombra stealth-bleed (images below). He got 5 victory points in the final – congrats Moisés, impressive!

VTES Mallorca 2020-06
• You can also play VTES online on LackeyCCG. Many do, mainly casual and leagues, but you can also arrange VEKN sanctioned tournaments – just mark it with “ONLINE” in the title when you enter it to the VEKN event calendar. You can find Lackey games on VTES-Hook and in the Facebook group VTES LackeyCCG.

• Another way to play VTES online is Tabletop Simulator – it´s at a 50% summer discount on Steam right now!

Wall Street Night Financial Newspaper - David Day VTES

VTES IN THE NEWS!

Recently we have seen VTES mentioned in some game media, for example Dicebreaker, Geek Pride and a bunch of non-English sources. This is excellent, because the more attention the game gets in media (including blogs and all kinds of influencers), the more potential players discover it and the more players we will have. Three things concerning this:

• If you see VTES mentioned in any media, please share it in social media.

• Tell Black Chantry, because they want to share it too.

• If you know anyone in game media, ask them to cover VTES!

THE FIFTH EDITION SET SYMBOL: THE CAMARILLA ANKH

Last week Black Chantry Productions revealed the set symbol for VTES Fifth Edition. Many veteran players immediately reacted with “Both Camarilla Edition and Blood Shadowed Court had an ankh symbol, why do an ankh again?”. Well, that was 2002 and 2008, and the official Vampire: The Masquerade V5 symbol for the Camarilla sect is that ankh, so an ankh seemed like a natural choice. Hopefully sorting your collection will work anyway!

Gonzalo Del Rio VTES Chile MEET THE VEKN: GONZALO DEL RÍO, NATIONAL COORDINATOR OF CHILE

We continue this series of interviews with VEKN volunteers, this time with Gonzalo Del Río, NC of Chile, a small but growing VTES nation.

Hello Gonzalo! When did you start playing VTES?
- I started in 2001, when I was at university. Back then I just knew a few TCG like Magic or Pokémon. I came across VTES through my roleplaying group of friends, and since I love World of Darkness, it was a nice discovery.

What do you like most about the game?
- One of the most challenging and fascinating things about VTES is the multiplayer system. It was created that way and well-thought-out, and it is the main reason I love this game. Also, VTES is not a pay-to-win game. The deck doesn't win for itself, there are too many variables to handle. Winning the game is very much up to player skill.

What is your favourite deck?
- My all-time favourite deck is the Ventrue antitribu grinder, but back in my early days I didn't know it by this name. The Sabbat War Ventrue preconstructed deck was my second purchase so I grew old with it. I changed and proved different versions, evolving it to its final form. It's a reliable and well-oiled deck that never disappoints me.

What other decks do you currently like playing?
- I still play the Ventrue antitribu. However, I found other loves along the road. My main clan is Ravnos, so I have several Ravnos decks. An Eldest Are Kholo-voter and a Necromancy+Chimestry one are funniest to play. Another deck that I secretly love is the Imbued, even though my friends hate when I play it.

Do you think you have a special style of playing?
- I believe my style is being patient, not depending on table deals and trying not to get unnecessary attention. Sometimes you need to be still until it´s the right moment to make your big move. In any case, you have to be prepared for any strange things that could happen on tables, so you need to have the necessary precautions in your deck.

How is the situation for VTES in Chile?
- In Chile the great majority of players are in the capital, Santiago. We also have a few players in other cities like Rancagua and La Serena. Sadly, we don't have a large community. The active players are around 25-30 people.

What are your ideas for spreading VTES?
- One of my personal goals is maintaining the players interested, so I established the one tournament per month rule. However, with covid-19 that won't be easy to maintain for now. I'm also trying to make us noticeable as a community doing collaborations with roleplaying game groups and showing VTES in different stores.

Thanks to Gonzalo for the interview, and thanks to the Chile community for playing this great game!

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: JUNE 2020

• This month Black Chantry started to take in VTES Fifth Edition preorders from distributors. This is to get a better idea of how large the first print run should be. So please ask your favorite store to stock Fifth Edition, they will in turn talk to their distributor who will preorder. Estimated release is sometime in September and the suggested retail price will be € 82.50 ($ 95).

• VTES Fifth Edition will be Black Chantry´s first simultaneous multi-language launch, as versions in French and Spanish will be in stores at the same time as the English version.

Govern the Unaligned Spanish VTES
• Fifth Edition spoiler season continues in social media, although a bit slowed down. Lately we have seen Govern the Unaligned with new art (see above), Roundhouse (heavily debated) and some crypt cards. In this newsletter you get another one, and more will, of course, follow.

• The open playtest of the proposed change of the crypt card contest rule is still ongoing. Please, report your comments in the Your opinion sheet and your games in the Game report sheet.

BCP products

RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

• A really cool Vampire: The Masquerade intro video was published, starring Josephine McAdam.

• A new rather impressive cinematic trailer for the upcoming Werewolf: The Apocalypse video game Earthblood is out.

• Swedish Fast Travel Games are to create the Wraith: The Oblivion-based VR horror game Afterlife.

• Freelance writer (and VTES player) Matthew Dawkins was interviewed in episode 8 of the World of Darkness News show. Especially interesting for VTES fans was what he said about the “Let the streets run red” scenario collection for Vampire: The Masquerade. One of the scenarios include the reappearance of none other than Sir Walter Nash, Prince of Chicago in the original VTES set!

• Paradox Interactive has appointed Justin Achilli as new Creative Lead for the World of Darkness brand.

CALENDAR

Upcoming events:
Follow local regulations on what physical events are possible. Notice that online tournaments are possible - just note "ONLINE" in the event name when you add the event in the calendar!

For more information on upcoming events see the V:EKN Event Calendar.

"Foureyes" by Joel Biske.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs

YES, ONLINE TOURNAMENTS CAN BE VEKN RANKED!

As it has been declared earlier in a forum posting, you can arrange an online tournament that is VEKN official, sanctioned and ranked. Just report the tournament as usual and add "ONLINE" to the event name. In these days of pandemic, this is a natural way to move forward. Later these tournaments might be moved to their own ranking We´ll see.

OPEN PLAYTEST OF POTENTIAL RULES CHANGE: CONTESTING VAMPIRES

Recently Black Chantry Productions made an announcement about a open playtest of a possible change of how vampire minions are contested. Please read the full original message, but this is the proposed change:

• A contested vampire remains in play. Their controller must pay 1 pool to continue to contest them, or yield during the unlock phase, but can play with them normally (act, block, play cards, cast votes or ballots etc.). If this vampire has a title that is also contested, the vampire must pay 1 blood point to keep it, as usual.
• It is still forbidden to contest a vampire with oneself, and if this were to happen, the last vampire to enter play would be immediately burned, as usual.
• This concerns both vampires influenced from the crypt and unique vampires brought into play with library cards (Abomination, Call the Great Beast etc.)
• Unique library cards (including allies) and imbued are still unaffected by this rule change.

For everybody's convenience, two separate Google Forms have been created to help gather as much data and feedback as possible in a handy form:

• Game report sheet (for actual game reports)

• Your opinion - Contest rule change (for your thoughts about the change)

if you have already stated your opinion somewhere in text - please help out by cut-pasting it into the "Your opinion" form. Thanks in advance!

THE VEKN FACEBOOK GROUP IS GROWING

It´s great to see all the interesting discussions at the VEKN Facebook group! This online community is growing almost every day. Please join the group and make a posting!

However, some questions about the group arise frequently, and the VEKN Board want to answer them here:

Q: What is the purpose of the VEKN Facebook group?
A: The group is for promoting of and discussions about the game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. This includes rules questions, event announcements, deck building tips, organizational questions, design ideas, etc. Nothing else. The group is not for posting stuff that you think are “funny”, memes, political discussions or anything else. Any such post will be removed immediately. There are 100+ other VTES Facebook groups where you can try to post that stuff.

Q: Is advertising allowed in the VEKN Facebook group?
A: Yes! Limited advertising is allowed for now. This of course includes Black Chantry and Paradox/White Wolf products, but also distributors, retailers and Ebay sellers. The VEKN is not going to block or stop any such postings as long as they are not too frequent. If items are repeated or reported as “spam”, such postings might get removed. Please use common sense!

Q: Are there any rules of conduct for the VEKN Facebook group?
A: Yes! The rules are called “Vampire: Elder Kindred Network Facebook discussion guidelines” and are pinned at the top of the group. Please read them and follow them! But also use commons sense before starting a new topic or commenting on one. Be clear on what you want to ask or discuss. The topic should be relevant for the group. Never “hijack” threads with off-topic comments. Please aim for a constructive discussion that group members will enjoy.

Q: Who are the moderators, and what do I do if I feel that a group user has treated me unfairly?
A: First: Note and accept that moderators' words are final. This means that they are not up for discussion. If you still feel that something is wrong with a moderation, contact a moderator directly. Current moderators are Hugh Angseesing and Henrik Klippström. Do NOT start a new topic about the moderation. The group is for discussing VTES, not for discussing how the group is moderated.

Q: So if we have a Facebook group, why keep the VEKN.net forum?
A: Some people don´t use Facebook, and it might be the better place for some questions, for example if you want to be somewhat anonymous. See you there too!

The most commented topics on the VEKN Facebook group the past month:
1. Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, May 9: VTES rule open playtest: Contesting vampire
2. Abadroza P S, May 26: Alternative contest rule change
3. Milutin M, May 25: Can you self oust, does that rule exists?
4. Bill T, May 10: How many vamps are highly contestable?
5. Igor B, May 23: Accident contest of Ludmijla

VTES content 2020-05
RECENT GREAT VTES CONTENT

• Death by the Coven - Italian VTES blog at deathbythecoven.wordpress.com

• The Neonate Diaries - New York-based blog at www.facebook.com/MikeTheNeonate

• Codex of the Damned - especially the Best cards, Deck Search and Card Search sections, at codex-of-the-damned.org

• VTES-DB Crypt Search - A new strong contender for best VTES tool, at vtes-db.smeea.casa/crypt

Seen any other new good VTES content? Share at VEKN.net forum or VEKN Facebook!

Tomasz Izydorczyk VTES Poland
MEET THE VEKN: TOMASZ IZYDORCZYK, NATIONAL COORDINATOR OF POLAND

We continue to give attention and show appreciation for VEKN volunteers by a series of interviews. This month we present to you Tomasz 'izi' Izydorczyk, the NC of the great VTES nation Poland.

Tomasz, when did you start playing VTES?
- It was during my first year of studies, 1999. I had made a lot of new friends and one of them introduced me to a playgroup. They played various roleplaying games, Warhammer Fantasy Battle and collectible card games. I was immediately hooked. The first CCG I played was Legend of the Five Rings, and I started playing VTES shortly after that.

What do you like most about the game?
- The social aspect of the game. Nothing compares to VTES in this area. Perhaps connected is that VTES players are a great bunch. I've made a lot of friends over the years. Relations that go way beyond gaming. Also, the game stays consistent over the years. You can play a deck – successfully – that is 20 years old. How great is that?!

What is your all-time favorite deck?
- It´s a Toreador gun wall deck... [Version below is from Warsaw Station League Finals, December 2013, 4 vp in final, but Tomasz has won several tournaments with similar decks]

Deck Name: Torki dla Olki
Crypt (12)
3x Anneke 10 AUS CEL PRE dom justicar Toreador:1
3x Marcellus 8 AUS CEL pro prince Toreador:2
2x François Villon 10 AUS CEL PRE chi obf pot prince Toreador:2
1x Felicia Mostrom 5 AUS CEL pre Toreador:1
1x Dorian Strack 4 AUS cel Toreador:1
1x Isabel de Leon 3 AUS Toreador:2
1x Zöe 3 AUS cel obf Malkavian:2

Library (89)
Master (18)
1x Art Museum
2x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Giant's Blood
2x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
2x Vessel
5x Villein
1x Wider View

Political Action (3)
3x Parity Shift

Equipment (7)
7x .44 Magnum

Combat (29)
4x Blur
6x Concealed Weapon
5x Psyche!
5x Pursuit
5x Side Strike
4x Taste of Vitae

Reaction (32)
2x Enhanced Senses
8x Eyes of Argus
2x My Enemy's Enemy
2x On the Qui Vive
1x Quicken Sight
11x Second Tradition: Domain
6x Telepathic Misdirection

That I first created as a training deck, to teach a basic aspect of the game: blocking. That is definitely the simplest deck I've ever made. Otherwise, I tend to overcomplicate things – my first deck was a Dawn Operation + Skin of Night + Weather Control combo deck. I got drawn to it though, started playing it in tournaments and played it for many years.

What other decks do you currently like playing? Is it just old favorites or do you like to create new stuff?
- I love checking out other players' decks I have seen. Check what I could do with them. See how they play from different perspectives. Check how they can be modified. It's endless fun. People are so creative!

Do you think you have a special “style” of playing?
- I try to play my turns as fast as possible. I have a plan for my next turn as soon as the present one is finished. Then I focus on what others are doing and modify the plan accordingly. Because of that I dislike decks that cannot be adjusted to the situation – the ”solitaire” type of decks.

You are the National Coordinator for your country. How is the situation for VTES in your country?
- There are a lot of new players, but we also lost many old players when VTES was in a limbo. On average we've had around 20 players per event year. So not bad, but it could be better.
I took over the position from Radosław "Szewski" Staszewski and those are big shoes to fill. He is arguably the single person that has done the most for VTES in Poland over the years. I hope to continue his great work and build on that in the future.
    The Polish scene is organized over a long time existent forum you can find at vtes.pl/forum. We have a Polish league, not like the European Grand Prix, but focused on national events. It's on hold this year, but I hope we can carry on next year. We've had prizes for most successful players obviously, but, what is unique, we also distinguish players in other areas like number of attended events, deck building, and superb organizers.
    We have a southern Polish league called Silesia by Night, organized by Grzegorz "Mały" Winter. Check it out at silesiabynight.com. There are galleries with pictures for every league tournament.
    My idea, apart from organizing big events in Poland, is to support those activities in the best way I can. I am hoping to get prize support for one of the polish leagues from a sponsor, much like the Grand Prix is sponsored by Ultra Pro.

Thanks to Tomasz for these words. Good luck to him and future Polish events. The Polish community is always very welcoming for travelling VTES players – try to attend a tournament there when you can!

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: MAY 2020

• The first official VTES card sleeves from Ultra Pro are now in stores! Current variants are crypt amber marble and library green marble, but other motifs will most likely appear later. Artwork suggestions are welcome!

• VTES Fifth Edition will appear in stores in French and Spanish versions at the same time as the English version! Cards have been translated, translation of the new rulebook is in progress.

• Speaking of the new rulebook: the writing is almost nailed, and graphic layout is in progress. It will be illustrated and in full colour - super secret previews look beautiful!

• The FAQ on www.blackchantry.com has been updated to reflect current reality. Check it out!

• Promo Pack 2 now available if you are an organizer or store who want to promote VTES. It contains the five 2019 Barons of Columbus, Versailles, Canberra, Fortaleza and Manila, as well as some other goodies.

• An open playtest of a suggested new contest rule for crypt cards was announced (see above in this newsletter).

• Since May 2 the previews of actual VTES Fifth Edition cards are ongoing. So far 12 cards have been spoiled, so there´s still about fifty cards to reveal!

• Later this year, more cards will be made available as VTES Legacy card print-on-demand. This is being prepared for now - cards need to be reworded and set in new layout.

BCP products

RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

• There´s a new Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 trailer out, and the game will have a Playstation 5 version!

• As you might expect of a weekly TV show, the official World of Darkness News show has aired four episodes since our last newsletter. Among the topics has been the VTM comic (episode 2), VTM novels (episode 3), VTM interactive novels (episode 4) and Latin America (episode 5). Check it out streaming every Friday at twitch.tv/worldofdarkness or later on the WoD Youtube channel.

CALENDAR

Upcoming events:
Follow local regulations on what physical events are possible. Notice that online tournaments on LackeyCCG or Tabletop Simulator are an option - just note "ONLINE" in the event name when you report the results! (see the top of this newsletter)

For more information on upcoming events see the V:EKN Event Calendar.

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